Here's the ninth chapter. It's a little shorter than usual, but I still think a decent amount happens in it. And yeah, this story is no longer going to be very humorous, at least for the time being. I do expect to inject some humor into it again later, though.
In any case, thank you all for reading this far. And never forget, if you want to talk to me off this site, I'm snowlabradorffn on Discord. Enjoy the chapter!
Current music: Guns In The Sky - INXS
There's that period early in the morning when you're content just to lie there in bed. It does not matter that your alarm is blaring, commanding you to get up in order to silence it. You might do just that, but then you'll want to climb back into bed and relax for a few more minutes.
Just a few more…that's what they all say.
In any case, that's how Ash felt upon waking the morning after the Situation Room meeting about Hoenn's disease outbreak. He closed his eyes again, tempted to drift back off into Dream Land, but he knew he couldn't.
It was still dark in the bedroom - of course, why wouldn't it be? The President slept in a windowless chamber in one of the palace's several apartments - he was too important to be given a room that had any portal to the outside world. Any opening, no matter how small, was a risk.
Ash couldn't help but feel like a caged Pyroar whenever he thought about this. The Secret Service's response to assassination attempts, to the storming of the Capitol, was to lock Ash Ketchum up in a fortified, airless fortress. So far as he was concerned, that fate might well be worse than death.
With a deep, heaving sigh, Ash donned a pair of fluffy slippers that had lain beside his bed all night as he'd slept. He didn't wear slippers very often, just because they were inconvenient to walk around in. Really, it was more like shuffling than walking, and they only made it more likely he'd slip or fall.
But this morning, this beautifully relaxing morning, Ash wanted nothing more than to act like everything was normal. It was much like one of his "better days" back at the apartment, and the President couldn't help but reminisce about those simpler times.
Yes, he'd been famous back then. But he hadn't been so famous that he couldn't head into the kitchen and sit at the table, poring over the newspaper with Serena while eating a bowl of cereal. His life had been about as private, those days, as could be expected from a national hero.
Those were his good days. As far as his bad days…well, he didn't like to acknowledge them. He was determined that today would be an example of the former.
Man, I could go for a cup of coffee right now. It'd be a great way to start the day.
Previously, making a cup of coffee would have required Ash to figure out how to work the coffee machine in their apartment, using some of the ground-up coffee that could be bought at almost any grocery store. It would take a lot longer than it probably needed to.
Now, though, all Ash needed to do was order room service using the internal telephone on his bedside table. It would be delivered to him within minutes, hot and steamy and perfect. And there would be no need to question it - then again, what could one question? It was great coffee!
I want to do it the old-fashioned way, the President decided. I'm sure there's a coffee mixer in the kitchen.
Ash shuffled down the hall in his pajamas, shielding his eyes from the sunlight that filtered in through the windows. It wasn't a terribly long walk to the kitchen - it was just beneath the dining room, and besides, there were elevators in the palace.
Fuck that. I'm taking the stairs.
Ash reveled in the normality of it. Most people didn't have elevators in their homes, unless they had to install them for one reason or another. But going down the stairs, taking them one at a time, reminded him of what life had been like back in Pallet Town.
I'm twenty-five. I can't get homesick. Especially since they - and we all know who they are - will divulge that to all of Kanto.
Face it, Ash. You're better than that, aren't you?
The kitchen was empty, which was just as well. Ash very much doubted that the culinary staff would feel safe if they knew the President was using knives and operating a blender. Even if he was as responsible as could be, he was still the President - that was just too great a risk.
And then another idea came into Ash's mind. It happened as he was mixing a specific amount of coffee into a cup of milk - that was the trick, the ratio had to be just right.
What if I gave Serena a cup as well? Maybe she'd see it as an olive branch, or just a kind gesture.
I can't give one to Pikachu. As it is, he's basically bouncing off the walls already.
Ash smiled as he mixed up another cup of coffee. The scent of the freshly ground product made him want to jump for joy - he wasn't even an expert on caffeinated drinks, but he knew good coffee when he smelled it.
Eventually, both cups were finished, and Ash stepped back from the counter, a mug in each hand. He decided that he'd take the elevator back up - he didn't want to risk the stairwell when he carried such precious cargo in not one but both arms.
A few minutes later, after he'd gingerly made his way down the corridors (and somehow failed to encounter a single guard or other worker - maybe they were all sleeping in), Ash set both mugs of coffee down on a small table. Then, he peered through the tiny peephole on the door to Serena's bedroom.
What's the point of making these peepholes if they're so small you can't see anything? Like, really - why?
The President rapped his right knuckle on the door several times; softly at first, but then he increased the intensity of the knocking. Still no response.
She's probably still asleep. I guess she needs her rest after yesterday's briefing, even though she wasn't there!
Still more knocking, and still no answer. It was time to resort to a different measure. Ash opened the door.
Serena's stately bedroom was almost identical to Ash's, with a high ceiling and linoleum floor like a basketball court. The only difference was that a beanbag chair sat in one corner, and in that chair lay a loudly snoring Pikachu.
I'm not going to turn on the light. She'd react angrily if I did that. No, I'm just going to creep on over, as much as I hate that word, and tap her on the shoulder. Nothing can go wrong with that plan.
That's exactly what Ash did. He tiptoed over to Serena's bedside. The First Lady did not stir, and the President silently congratulated himself for how quietly he'd stepped.
Ash took a deep breath. Now was the moment of truth, when he'd give Serena a (hopefully pleasant) surprise.
He tapped his girlfriend on the shoulder. No response.
Man, Serena, you must really have needed your sleep. Not judging you or anything - it's been a long week for both of us. For all I know, maybe you had a hard time resting after I survived the Capitol riot.
But I brought some coffee for you. So I'll wake you up right now.
"Morning," Ash muttered.
The First Lady's eyelids retracted immediately, and Serena opened her mouth. She seemed confused at first, but her expression almost immediately morphed into a peeved one.
"What are you doing here, Ash? I need my beauty rest too, you know!"
"I brought you some coffee," Ash replied sheepishly. Even as those words left his lips, it hit home just how weak they sounded. Serena was unlikely to accept them as an excuse for anything.
"Well, couldn't you have just left it outside my door?" the First Lady snapped. "It's only 6 AM!"
"I didn't want it to get cold" the President mumbled, glancing away from Serena.
"Ash, you must have brought a shovel with you into this bedroom. You're just digging deeper - you're not helping your case!"
"Whoa there" Ash said. "I just wanted to do something kind for you, to make up for how chaotic the last week has been."
Serena raised an eyebrow. "If I'm being honest with you, I don't think you can make it up to me that way."
"Why not?"
"Because this isn't the way you build trust in a relationship, Ash. You don't tell your partner that you're going to treat them well, you just do it. I should think it's simple, but evidently you find it very hard!"
"I said I was sorry…".
"...so you decided it would be a good idea to bring me an unsolicited gift? For all I know, there might be a drug in there!"
Ash's throat felt hot. If this conversation was a ship, it was rapidly approaching some very rough waters. This topic was going somewhere he didn't want it to go - if he was right, Serena was about to accuse him of something unthinkable.
"Wh-why would you s-say that?" the President all but bellowed.
"Because you seem far too proud of that coffee!" Serena exclaimed, shoving the bedspread aside and springing off the mattress like it was a trampoline. She then glared at her boyfriend, fists at the ready as though preparing for a fight.
Ash could hardly believe his ears. "So you think I'm going to give you the coffee, and you think it's drugged with something."
"Well, you already admitted to that first part" she muttered. "As for the second part, who knows?"
"Serena, you know I'd never do that" the President insisted. "If I did that, I'd completely destroy my reputation, and Kanto would no longer want me as President."
"That's very weak, Ash, and you know it!"
The couple's shouting match had been enough to wake Pikachu, and the yellow mouse was now rapt to attention. Pikachu didn't say any words, though; he just stood there and quivered at the sight and sounds of their argument.
"What do you mean, it's weak? I just wanted to give you some coffee."
"How about, I wouldn't drug you because it's wrong, or even, I wouldn't drug you because I'd feel like garbage if I did?"
"Those are both true," Ash conceded. "And you don't have to drink the coffee if you don't want to."
"I sure as hell won't!" Serena shrieked, seizing her mug and splashing it in Ash's direction. A few drops of coffee landed on Ash's pajamas, and another drop or two hit his forehead, causing a slight burning sensation.
"Serena…" the President sighed angrily. He didn't want to raise his voice at her - he had to be the better person in this exchange, didn't he?
"Next time, don't wake me up unless it's extremely important! And your desire to get me coffee doesn't count as an extremely important reason!"
"I'm sorry," Ash muttered. "That's what you wanted me to say, isn't it?"
"Sorry isn't good enough" Serena snapped. "Remember, show me that you're determined to change. Don't tell me that, because without a good track record, you can't back yourself up!"
"Fine. I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day. You want that, don't you?"
Serena jabbed her right ring finger in Ash's direction, which is when Ash knew that there wouldn't be a ring on it anytime soon. In fact, probably never. But it was wrong to think in those terms when he'd wronged his girlfriend in a real way.
"Of course I want that, Ash! And don't give me that look, because you're probably going to slap me!"
Ash gasped. "I wouldn't lay a finger on you, and you know it!"
"Whatever! Just get out of this room!"
The President did as he was told, and Serena slammed the door in his face. Ash didn't linger; within seconds, he was already halfway down the hall.
By now a few Secret Service agents were present. Ash didn't know any of their names, but he was certain they knew his - there was some imbalance there. In any event, he did not speak to any of them.
The President returned to his own bedroom. He'd left both cups of coffee in Serena's room, but he didn't dare go back to retrieve it. Besides, it would only serve as a reminder of their row today. He'd have to spend this set of waking hours on a caffeine deficit.
That's okay, Ash told himself. Caffeine is overrated.
Once the President collapsed back onto his own bed, he put his head in his hands. How could he have been so clueless?
To add insult to injury, the phone rang five seconds later, and Ash had to decide whether to get up from his "comfortable" position in bed to answer it. This internal argument did not last long - the President had to be attentive to the needs of his people, and phone calls couldn't be ignored just because they came at inconvenient times.
Most likely, being President was rather like taking care of a newborn. You'd wake up at random times in the night because the newborn - in this case, a Cabinet official or someone else with a concern - needed something. So you got up and provided for that need - it didn't matter that you'd rather be in bed, because some jobs just need to be done.
The caller ID was Unknown, but the President couldn't use that as an excuse. There were all sorts of reasons someone might want their identity hidden when making a phone call, weren't there?
So Ash picked up the phone. "Hello?"
There was no response.
"Hello?"
There was still no answer, and Ash felt his right hand ball up into a rage-filled fist. He felt like screaming, and indeed, screaming is exactly what he did.
"Look, this isn't funny!" the President exclaimed. "Prank calls aren't a joke! I don't know who you are, or what you want from me, but we'll find out soon enough!"
A reply finally came. To describe the man's voice (and it was clearly that of a man), it may only be appropriate to say that if an Ekans could talk like a human, this is what it'd sound like.
"So…do you have a minute?"
"Yes?" Ash responded, trying not to let his exasperation show. (Though, in all likelihood, that ship was well out to sea by now.)
"I heard about what happened" the voice hissed. "And I'm very disappointed in you. I would have expected the President to know better."
The President froze, nearly dropping the phone in the process. If this intruder on the phone lines was referring to the romantic spat between Ash and Serena, the obvious question was: How did he know about it? It was unthinkable!
"I do not know what you are talking about" Ash replied, again trying to sound as cordial as possible. This call was monitored, after all - wiretapping is only illegal when a private citizen does it. The President couldn't be heard screaming too ferociously.
"It doesn't matter" the tone snapped. "I know who you are."
"Of course you do."
"No matter where you are, you're not safe from me. I am the one who filmed you in the Red Light District last week. And you're not living up to my standards, to say the least. How dare you treat Serena that way?"
"What the - ?" Ash began, but then he realized there was no way to ask that question without incriminating himself. If he had indeed done something criminal, but having an argument was hardly against the law, was it?
The President then cleared his throat. "So you're that burner account that posted my rant on PokéTube, aren't you?"
"One is more than their social media accounts, Mr. Ketchum. I'd think you'd know that by now."
"Fine. But why do you want to fuck my life up so much?"
"Oh, Mr. President, it's not right to swear. That's not the proper way to behave as the head of state."
"I'll cuss like a sailor if I want to, thank you very much!" Ash shouted. "You have no power over me! I'm the President!"
"On the contrary, we the people hold all the power we need. At the next election, we'll replace you at the ballot box, and then you'll pay for what you've done to our operation."
The guy on the other end hung up after that last line, but Ash had heard enough anyway. All he needed to know was that final word: Operation.
That was the thing about the Galarian (English) language: Words could have more than one meaning, one reason learning the language was so difficult for those without it as a mother tongue. Operation might mean performing surgery to help someone with a medical problem.
But it did not seem that way.
No, in this context, operation was far more sinister. Of that, Ash Ketchum was absolutely certain. Despite this, questions still remained, too numerous to list here.
He knew that the responsible thing to do would be to inform the Secret Service, if they didn't already know about the threat. If there was any chance he would be putting himself, Serena, Pikachu, or national security at risk by leaving them in the dark, then he had to tell them.
However, doing so would open a giant can of Caterpie that he wasn't eager to give the time of day. It just wouldn't be worth it.
And this would be one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Even bigger, potentially, than filming that video in the first place.
The next day, the following article was published in the Kanto Times:
President Ketchum Involved In Domestic Dispute At Presidential Palace: Report
Last night, it was reported that President Ash Ketchum of Kanto, 25, had an argument with his domestic partner, Serena Courtland, also 25. This argument was discovered by the Secret Service when Ms. Courtland infromed the Secret Service, who circulated this information to our journalists.
According to the report, Mr. Ketchum woke early yesterday morning and approached Mrs. Courtland in her bedroom, carrying a cup of coffee. This led to an argument between the two, which, according to some, became about more than just words.
Mr. Ketchum could not be reached for comment, though one Secret Service agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated that the argument remained peaceful and orderly. There was no domestic violence involved on either side, according to this source.
"Quite frankly, that's all a bunch of BS," Paula Polestar of Saffron City told the Times last night. Speaking from a restaurant at which she ate with her husband and several of his colleagues, she continued: "There are plenty of reasons why women won't report that violence took place. That doesn't mean it didn't happen. As far as I'm concerned, President Ketchum is a crook."
Mrs. Polestar, 49, reportedly contacted her representative in the Kantoese House of Representatives to request an impeachment inquiry against President Ketchum. It remains to be seen whether the impeachment inquiry will take place, let alone whether articles of impeachment will be filed.
Mr. Ketchum, meanwhile, has experienced what some might call a fall from grace. He was best known for saving Kanto from an external threat during his journey as a child, after which he took part in many speaking engagements and even wrote a memoir, Child of Lightning: The Ash Ketchum Story. In response to this latest controversy surrounding Kanto's youngest President, several major bookstores have announced that they will pull Child of Lightning from their shelves.
As stated above, the President could not be reached for comment, though anonymous sources from within the administration state that Mr. Ketchum is "increasingly stressed out and isolated."
Michael Banditt, 36, the Secretary of State, whose confirmation hearings were interrupted by last week's attack on the Kantoese Capitol building, spoke to the Times last night regarding the allegations against his boss. The Secretary of State remains loyal to Mr. Ketchum.
"I'm on his side, I really am" Mr. Banditt stated. "I don't believe Ash Ketchum would abuse his significant other. If I did, I would not have taken the job, and if I still did, I would have resigned by now."
Others are less certain. Notably, Mr. Ketchum's Policy Advisor, his longtime friend Brock Takeshi, has remained silent on these allegations. However, Mr. Takeshi, 27, has been accused of nepotism for accepting the position. A Congressional probe into Mr. Takeshi's motivation is set to begin next week.
Much like President Ketchum, Mr. Takeshi could not be reached for comment.
